Tariffs, Lawfare & Waste: Inside the White House-A New Era of Teamwork & Strategy

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Tariffs, Lawfare & Waste: Inside the White House - A New Era of Teamwork & Strategy"

Episode: Tariffs, Lawfare & Waste: Inside the White House - A New Era of Teamwork & Strategy
Release Date: April 23, 2025
Host: Ben Ferguson
Hosted by: Premiere Networks

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Introduction

In this episode of The 47 Morning Update, Ben Ferguson delves deep into the inner workings of the White House, focusing on the administration's strategies concerning education reform, legal battles, and trade policies. Through exclusive interviews with key figures like Linda McMahon, the United States Secretary of Education, and Mae Melman, Senior Policy Strategist at the White House, Ferguson provides listeners with an unfiltered look into the current administration's approach to governance and policy implementation.

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Section 1: Overhauling the Department of Education

Key Speaker: Linda McMahon
Timestamp: [04:03] – [10:16]

Linda McMahon discusses her pivotal role in the administration's bold move to shut down the Department of Education. Tasked directly by the President, McMahon emphasizes the administration's intent to dismantle bureaucratic structures and return educational control to the states.

Linda McMahon [04:50]: "We have spent over $3 trillion in education, and our performance scores have continued to go down... We've gotten away from the basics. We've gotten away from teaching reading and teaching arithmetic."

Major Points:

• Elimination of Bureaucracy: McMahon explains the rationale behind dissolving the Department of Education, aiming to reduce governmental interference and allow states greater autonomy over educational policies.

• Cutting Wasteful Spending: One significant area identified for budget cuts was the $600 million allocated to teacher training programs, predominantly focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). McMahon states:

  Linda McMahon [06:19]: "Most of the programs at that point were really focused on DEI training and not on what you would typically be looking at for teacher training."

• Reaffirming Educational Basics: The administration is redirecting funds towards fundamental educational practices such as phonics and arithmetic, believing that a strong foundation is crucial for student success.

• Modernizing Education with Technology: McMahon highlights the need to update educational curricula to keep pace with technological advancements, criticizing outdated teaching methods still prevalent in some schools.

  Linda McMahon [09:19]: "If it's a career path they want to be on, I'm all for that."

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Section 2: A New Era of Teamwork and Strategy in the White House

Key Speaker: Mae Melman
Timestamp: [11:11] – [18:32]

Mae Melman provides insights into the transformative teamwork within the current White House administration, contrasting it with previous administrations' dynamics.

Mae Melman [12:40]: "Now there is such a thing as Trump world, and there are people who have been here... It's easier to have everybody rowing in the same direction."

Major Points:

• Unified Leadership: Unlike previous administrations where staff came from diverse backgrounds and often worked in silos, the current team exhibits heightened cohesion and alignment towards common goals.

• Efficient Policy Implementation: The administration's streamlined approach allows for quicker execution of policies, with Melman noting the increased speed and effectiveness in pushing agenda items forward.

  Mae Melman [12:40]: "What we have really seen is that we're not trying to do this. People will just do it at the 100 out of 10, even though we just need a 10 out of 10."

• Enhanced Communication: Improved internal communication reduces leaks and fosters a more collaborative environment, strengthening the administration's public image and policy consistency.

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Section 3: Combating Lawfare and Judicial Activism

Key Speaker: Mae Melman
Timestamp: [13:22] – [15:48]

The discussion shifts to the administration's battle against "lawfare"—a term Melman uses to describe the strategic use of legal systems by opponents to hinder the President's agenda.

Mae Melman [14:30]: "These judges are really playing with fire, but they know it and they want it... they want to pick this fight because they feel the leadership of the Democratic Party right now."

Major Points:

• Judicial Challenges: Democrats are increasingly leveraging the judiciary to block or delay executive actions, often through activist judges who issue nationwide injunctions without thorough merit assessments.

  Mae Melman [14:29]: "Each one of those judges issued an injunction that was just narrow to the parties that had brought the suit."

• Impact on Policy Execution: These legal battles create significant roadblocks for the administration, delaying or derailing key initiatives and policies.

• Call for Judicial Reform: Melman suggests a need to redefine judicial power to prevent judges from overstepping their roles as policymakers, advocating for measures that ensure the judiciary remains an impartial arbiter of the law.

  Mae Melman [15:48]: "The solution, I think, is gonna be a reshaping of what it means to have judicial power..."

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Section 4: Strategic Trade Policies and Reducing Dependence on China

Key Speakers: Mae Melman and Ben Ferguson
Timestamp: [15:48] – [19:59]

The episode delves into the administration's multifaceted trade strategy aimed at reducing the United States' dependence on China, emphasizing national security and economic resilience.

Mae Melman [17:02]: "We want to be supply chain independent. We want to be able to make our pharmaceuticals at home."

Major Points:

• Negotiating with Allies: The administration is actively engaging with major American companies—such as Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart, and Target—to secure trade agreements that bolster domestic manufacturing and reduce reliance on Chinese imports.

• Balancing Tariffs: While upholding tariffs as a tool to counter economic dependence, the administration remains flexible, adjusting tariffs on specific goods to accommodate industries that cannot swiftly onshore production.

  Mae Melman [18:32]: "We have been hearing from people, changes, and those changes have already been implemented..."

• National Security Focus: Trade policies are closely tied to national security objectives, ensuring that critical industries like pharmaceuticals and technology are insulated from foreign geopolitical pressures.

• Support for Small Businesses: Recognizing the impact of trade wars on small enterprises, the administration prioritizes safeguarding American startups and small businesses from adverse effects, striving to create a more secure and self-reliant economic landscape.

  Mae Melman [18:11]: "Nobody wants to harm American small businesses. We want China and the United States to find a resolution..."

• Listening and Adaptation: The administration remains in "listening mode," actively seeking feedback from businesses and adjusting policies to better serve both economic and national security interests.

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Conclusion

In this episode, The 47 Morning Update provides a comprehensive overview of the current administration's efforts to streamline government operations, combat legal opposition, and strategically navigate international trade challenges. Through candid discussions with key White House figures, Ben Ferguson offers listeners an in-depth understanding of the policies shaping America’s present and future.

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Notable Quotes:

• Linda McMahon [04:50]: "We have spent over $3 trillion in education, and our performance scores have continued to go down..."

• Mae Melman [12:40]: "What we have really seen is that we're not trying to do this. People will just do it at the 100 out of 10, even though we just need a 10 out of 10."

• Mae Melman [14:30]: "These judges are really playing with fire, but they know it and they want it..."

• Mae Melman [17:02]: "We want to be supply chain independent. We want to be able to make our pharmaceuticals at home."

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Subscribe to The 47 Morning Update on the iHeartRadio app or your preferred podcast platform to stay informed on the latest political developments and insider insights from the White House.

Transcript

[Ben Ferguson]

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[Linda McMahon]

So good.

[Ben Ferguson]

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[Mae Melman]

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Mae Melman]

Okay.

[Ben Ferguson]

Rock, paper scissors for it. Rock, paper scissors. Shoot. No. The Wells Fargo ActiveCash credit card. Visit Wells Fargo.comActiveCash terms apply. Hey Clay, if there was a summer camp for critical thinking, we'd be the chief counselors. Those jelly heads in June would be intellectual warriors by August. Be a lot of fun too. Some Bill and Ted's excellent adventure references thrown in this podcast. Like a daily dose of that. Minus the campfires, archery and pranking the girls. The bonafide boot camp for critical thinking. You can get in on it for free at the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search our names, Clay and Balk. Listen and subscribe. In the fall of 1986, Ronald Reagan found himself at the center of a massive scandal that looked like it might bring down his presidency. It became known as the Iran Contra affair.

[Linda McMahon]

The things that happened were so bizarre and insane, I can't begin to tell you.

[Mae Melman]

Please do.

[Ben Ferguson]

To hear the whole story, listen to Iran Contra on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Linda McMahon]

Everyone's going to do well in this country because of tariffs. We have $7 trillion of investment already and that's coming in, I think for two reasons.

[Ben Ferguson]

It's coming because of an election that.

[Linda McMahon]

People liked and it's coming in because of tariffs. I could name eight right now already. Auto plants that are either starting or about ready to start construction. The non union workers in the automobile industry, they. They love Trump.

[Ben Ferguson]

You're listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Fer. Good Wednesday morning. Ben Ferguson with you and it's so nice to have you on the 47 Morning Update. When we started this podcast. The goal was to take you behind the scenes of what's happening at the White House, giving you the three big stories of the day. But we also told you we're going to give you access directly to the White House. Well, today's show is a perfect example of that. I spent the day at the White House talking to different cabinet secretaries and advisers to the President, United States of America, about the first hundred days at the White House. We're going to play that for you now. First, you're going to hear from the woman who's in charge of education. Linda McMahon is talking about why she's shutting down the Department of Education at the President's directive and how important that could be to changing education all over the country. And then we're going to talk with one of the advisors at the White House about what's happening with tariffs as well and some other big issues with the Hundred Day Mark. So it's the 47 Morning Update from the White House, and it starts right now. Story number one. Sitting in front of me is a woman that has taken on a almost impossible task. I was so excited when I heard this name, Linda McMahon. And if you don't know the history of Linda, you need to Google it, because she has done some amazing things in her career. And you get this job, you get a phone call to become the United States Secretary of Education. How did this even come about? How was the phone call that you received from the President? I got to know the backstory real quick because I think it's so fascinating.

[Linda McMahon]

Well, good morning and thank you very much for having me. Ben, you may or may not recall, but I was the co chair of the transition committee for the President. So we were putting in place all of the different cabinet secretaries, et cetera. And, you know, I'm working on everybody else's department. And the President talks to me and he says, look, he says, I've got the perfect place for you. And I said, oh, okay. What are you thinking? He said, department of Education. I said, well, you realize that my background is not, you know, in the world of education, although I got my certificate to teach and I was prepared to teach French. I also served on the Connecticut State Board of Education. And then I've been on the board of trustees at Sacred heart University for 16 years. I said, so I do have education background.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Linda McMahon]

And he said, look, here's what I want to do with the Department of Education. I want to shut it down. And so I laughed. I laughed. And I said, so in Other words. Excuse me. I said, so in other words, you want me to preside over my own demise?

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Linda McMahon]

And he laughed out loud. And he said, yep. He said, I do want you to do that. You're. He said, and here's what I need. He said, rather than have an educator in place to do this, what I really need is a business person. I need an executive. I need a leader who knows how to manage and can handle this. He said, we need to return education to the states. He said, I want to take the bureaucracy out of education, and as much money as we're saving and doing that, I want to make sure that the states can maximize, you know, that money and have the programs that they need in place. So he said, so I need you to come on board and do that. And I said, yes. Aye, aye, Captain. I'm ready to go.

[Ben Ferguson]

So you get here and you get this new job, and it's an incredible job, and you're putting yourself out of business, which is also, like, a weird mentality to have. What was the biggest waste of tax dollars that you've uncovered at Doge? And let's start there.

[Linda McMahon]

Well, I can tell, you know, first of all, let me say I welcomed the Doge group that came in and has been looking at a lot of the wasteful spending that has been going on. I think one of the things that jumped out at me was that we had about $600 million that we were spending on teacher training programs.

[Ben Ferguson]

Now that's 600 million.

[Linda McMahon]

So now that sounds. That sounds, you know, incredibly like a good amount of money to be spending or on a good thing to train our teachers. But what we really were finding was that most of the programs at that point were really focused on DEI training.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Linda McMahon]

And not on what you would typically be looking at, you know, for teacher training. And so we took back that money and we shut down that kind of training program. So that was one that just jumped out at me.

[Ben Ferguson]

So is it fair to say the Department of Education and I have a sister, she's in an inner city school, and she's doing the best that she can. My mom was a teacher. My aunt was a principal. Like, I come from that world. But what is sad to me is it seems like the Department of Education has basically decided we're going to indoctrinate kids instead of educate kids, and we're going to do it in a way with using taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate them in what we believe in instead of reading, writing, and arithmetic. How far off am I on that from a national standpoint, you're not far.

[Linda McMahon]

Off on that at all. And what we have really seen. I mean, think about this, Ben. The Department of Education was established in 1980, and since that time, we have spent over $3 trillion in education, and our performance scores have continued to go down. And, you know, I don't say there haven't been things that have been tried. I mean, the Bush administration tried no Child Left Behind.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Linda McMahon]

Barack Obama tried Race to the Top. But we're failing in the mission of teaching our students. And I think the reason for that is we have gotten away from basics. We've gotten away from teaching reading and teaching arithmetic. And so what we're finding in schools that are showing improvement in scores is, is that they have returned to the science of reading, teaching phonics, teaching repetitive, you know, just memorization, like in mathematics for your times table and things like that. And then building upon that base, you know, up through third grade, you are learning to read, and after third grade, you're reading to learn. And if you can't read, you can't. You're not going to be able to learn. So we found that a lot of the fall off, if you will, in education is because we're not teaching the basics. And so a little return to that basics is great. Now, a lot of other things that can be introduced that can be helpful, like AI.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yes.

[Linda McMahon]

Because they're a lot.

[Ben Ferguson]

How far behind are we in technology?

[Linda McMahon]

Oh, my gosh. We're just.

[Ben Ferguson]

Because it seems like we're back 20 years ago and all of a sudden now are 30 years ago in technology, and we're having these kids go out in the world. I laughed the other day. I was talking to a group of students, and the students said that at their high school, they were still teaching them to do photography and develop film. And you're like, for what reason? That doesn't happen anymore. You're not going to use that.

[Linda McMahon]

Is that going to be their major when they go off? Is that a career path that they want to be on? If it's a career path they want to be on, I'm all for that.

[Ben Ferguson]

Right. However, it's digital now. Pictures are digital. And they're like, the teacher's been there and said, well, this is how we've always done it. That was a response to the students. I'm like, we're paying that salary. Someone who's literally saying, I refuse to move forward.

[Linda McMahon]

Yeah. And I just think that just goes to the bigger problem of how I think education is not in touch with the communities. It's not in touch with the industries that we need. And that's what we need to make sure of that. We are educating our students for, you know, for their. For their livelihood. What, you know, what. What does industry need? What does the community need? You'll hear most universities say that we want to make sure we can keep students in the community when we're training them. But if you don't understand what community, what industry, what business needs, or what technology needs, et cetera, you can't construct the proper curriculum to fill that need. And you'll find we won't be successful.

[Ben Ferguson]

Next story number two. We're live here at the White House, and my guest with me now is Mae Melman, senior policy strategist at the White House. And a unique perspective because she was in 45 in that administration. You're now in 47. We were talking before the show, and I just. Let's just start with this, because I think it's so cool this White House is running at a different pace than it did with the first time around. Part of that was learning government. I think part of it's having a team this time that seems to be working as a team and just seems like everyone wants to win and is getting along. The leaks we're not seeing like we did last time. It seems like everybody's a team player. This is really fun to watch from the outside. I was in the Bush administration, and it was in the second, from 04 to 08, and it was just a different type of team than we had in the first part. You got to enjoy watching the past and now the present. How cool is that for you?

[Mae Melman]

Yeah. I used to be jealous of what the Bush people had in the sense that they still did reunions and they all hung out with each other and they, you know, we had our criticism, certainly, but it felt like they were all very unified. And I think during Trump 1.0, people very much got along. It was friendly, but people had come from different places. So you had people who were campaign people, you had people who were RNC people, you had people who were either longtime friends of the family, these sorts. You know, everyone kind of had their own different background. But now there is such a thing as Trump world, and there are people who have been here and those, they've had relationships and they've had ups and downs with each other, and so it is easier to have everybody rowing in the same direction. And I've had strange experiences that I never had during the first time so during the first time, I was also writing a lot of executive orders, helping push a lot of policies, and I would have to follow up and follow up and follow up, and nothing would happen at the speed and the pace and the level that I wanted it to. Now, if I write something that's very nuanced, I'm careful, okay? We're not trying to do this. People will just do it at the 100 out of 10, even though we just. We just need a 10 out of 10. That's okay. So the excitement people have been planning, people are ready to go. And it does feel very different, even though it is actually a lot of the same people. I'm working with a lot of the same people, but it's just different this time.

[Ben Ferguson]

So let's talk about where we are 100 days in. You're here. You're a senior apology strategist. I think one of the big things that people are witnessing right now, they're concerned about is the lawfare. There is very clear a movement by the left, by the Democrats, to use the court system and activist judges, their allies that they know are clearly on their team, making sure they're filing things in certain courts where they know it'll give them a favorable opinion, which is against this White House and trying to stop the presidential lawfare. You guys are fighting back. You work with Jason Miller. You guys are out there hardcore going against this. Where are we now? And how big of a roadblock is this going to be for Trump's agenda getting actually done?

[Mae Melman]

Well, the Democrats have no political strategy. They have no political leader, they have no North Star. So all they have is no. And the place you go for no is the courts. And so that's where all the money has been. That's where the excitement is, that's where the investment is, is just no. There's some protests, there's blowing up Teslas, but mostly it's in the courts. And I think the judges are very excited. These are activists. These are longtime Democrat donors, partisans. You know, they're part of the movement. They're excited to actually be the leaders of the left right now. And so, yeah, it is a problem. I'm a lawyer. For four years, when I was not in the White House, I was bringing lawsuits and the judges that we would get even if we were in conservative areas of the country with very conservative judges. These were measured approaches. I'll just take Title IX, for example. 26 states brought lawsuits, and I think eight different jurisdictions to challenge Biden's rewrite of Title IX. Each one of those judges, every single one, issued an injunction that was just narrow to the parties that had brought the suit. So there never was a nationwide injunction, even with 26 states and eight different lawsuits.

[Ben Ferguson]

Wow.

[Mae Melman]

Compare that to here, where you just have any sort of group. It's not states bringing these. These are just random people, random activists bringing these lawsuits and getting nationwide injunctions at the TRO stage, the temporary restraining order stage, which is not even assessment of the merits of whether you're right or wrong. It's just, hey, I'm the judge, and I feel like doing this nationwide thing based, not even on the merits, just, I want to freeze the Trump administration from doing anything. So this lawfare is a serious, serious problem, in my opinion. I think that it violates the job of the judiciary, which is to say what the law is, not to become the policymaker. So I think there's been some calls for impeachment and things like that. You know, Congress should absolutely impeach judges who. Who are not doing their jobs. However, that's just not gonna be the solution. The solution, I think, is gonna be a reshaping of what it means to have judicial power, whether that's coming from the Supreme Court, whether that's coming from Congress, or whether that's coming from the administration. Just saying, you know what? If you are actually stepping into the executive branch's power, we're not gonna abide by it. And so I think these judges are really playing with fire, but they know it and they want it, and they want to pick this fight because they feel the leadership of the Democratic Party right now.

[Ben Ferguson]

Let's talk about trade. And that is a big issue that is, I think, top of mind for virtually every American. I have dear friends that knew I was going to be here today, and I was like, they're dealing with this. And they've got companies that are American companies, startups from their garage that are now being affected because of this trade war with China. They're very concerned about what they built. Where are we with this master plan from the President? It seems to me he's saying, hey, I want to get great deals done with a lot of countries so that we have much less dependence on China. This is about reducing China's influence in the world, especially when it comes to trade. Are we moving forward and when are we going to start getting deals announced to calm the markets? But also, you know, the people that have businesses and how long are they going to have to deal with this? Because we saw yesterday it was just a Good sign. President was meeting with top companies. They were meeting with Lowe's and Home Depot and Walmart and Target about this trade war. That could be good news, but also could be bad news, depending on who you read and what you're being told. We know the media wants us to be miserable. They want to be fear mongering. They want this inflation issues to happen. They want this to be a Trump disaster. I don't see it that way, though.

[Mae Melman]

Yeah, I think the President's heart is where actually a lot of Americans hearts are, which is that we want to be supply chain independent. We want to be able to make our pharmaceuticals at home. We don't want to be reliant on a country who is threatening to us. And yet I think the President also is a very practical person. He's a business person. He is a listener. And you can see even from the changes to the original announcement of reciprocal tariffs, that he wants to be in it with allies to shore up our manufacturing against people who do not have our best interests, including China. So while I can't give a timeline for when you would see an exact announcement, I can say that the White House is in listening mode. And we have been hearing from people changes, and those changes have already been implemented whether, whether it has to do with lower tariffs on certain electronics that we simply can't make, we can't onshore quickly. And then I think also part of that national security.

[Ben Ferguson]

Right. Like this is when I've asked and I've had leaders call me and they're like, ben, what is he doing? Why is he doing this? I said, look, you got to look at this from two views. One is national security. And if you bring enough of that back to the US you don't have to be the leader in the world, but you need to have enough from a national security standpoint that if something happens somewhere else in the world, you're still good. And that's part of what the President, I think, learned from COVID Yeah.

[Mae Melman]

And so from a national security standpoint, I think the nation is pretty strong and we feel good there. And so really it is focusing on small businesses and the impact, and it is alarming actually, how tightly our supply chains and how quickly they are connected to China, which of course you know something that we all know, which is why the whole action exists to begin with. But nobody wants to harm American small businesses. What we want is, is for China and the United States to find a resolution and then of course, to eventually work toward a trade policy that is going to be best for our national security, best for our economy. And you know, as President Trump is going to be income tax replacement. And it's a complicated thing, but no president has really taken this on seriously. And year by year by year by year, we become more reliant, less safe, less secure, less independent. And it almost doesn't matter whether you have a southern border or what the if, if the threat is coming in from your nation's dependents. That said, I think, as you noted, the president is in complete listening mode. So there is a need to make sure that our small businesses and our large businesses and our supply chains and our consumers are all accounted for.

[Ben Ferguson]

Thank you for listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson. Please make sure you hit subscribe wherever you're listening to this podcast right now. And for more in depth news, also subscribe to the Ben Ferguson Podcast and we will see you back here tomorrow. In the fall of 1986, Ronald Reagan found himself at the center of a massive scandal that looked like it might bring down his presidency. It became known as the Iran Contra Affair.

[Linda McMahon]

The things that happened were so bizarre and insane, I can't begin to tell you.

[Mae Melman]

Please do.

[Ben Ferguson]

To hear the whole story, listen to Fiasco Iran Contra on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey Clay, if there was a summer camp for critical thinking, we'd be the chief counselors. Those jelly heads in June would be intellectual warriors by August. Be a lot of fun too. Some Bill and Ted's excellent adventure references. Ronin. This podcast like a daily dose of that. Minus the campfires, archery and pranking, the girls. The bona fide boot camp for critical thinking. You can get in on it for free at the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast. Just search our names, Play and buck. Listen and subscribe.